"We'll have disagreements...": Gautam Gambhir calls Rohit Sharma final decision-maker in Indian cricket
Published - 18 Sep 2024, 03:57 PM | Updated - 18 Sep 2024, 11:52 PM
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir opened up about his conversations with skipper Rohit Sharma for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. Gautam Gambhir said that Rohit Sharma will make the final call in team decisions on the field for the two-match Test series on home soil.
The Indian team is gearing up for the upcoming home Test series. Notably, it is Gautam Gambhir's first Test series as head coach of the Indian team. Assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate were with the team during the Sri Lanka tour, while Morne Morkel has joined as bowling coach.
India will face Bangladesh in the first Test match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, starting on Thursday, September 19. The Indian team, currently at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, will be hoping to secure a victory in the first match and start the series on a high note.
The Captain Leads The Team On The Field - Gautam Gambhir
On JioCinema's special segment "Inside Out," Gautam Gambhir revealed that the support staff is there to assist Rohit Sharma, who will make the final decisions on the field. Gambhir said that the intent is always to make decisions in the team's best interest, despite occasional disagreements.
“We had many conversations (on how to take the forward). I have always been a big believer when I was playing, when I was mentoring that it is always the captain's team. It's the captain who leads the team on the field," Gambhir said.
"Me and the entire support staff are there to help the team, help the captain, and there will be times when we will have disagreements about a lot of things, but ultimately the final call will always be the captain's call because he is the general there."
And more importantly if out intention, intent and heart is at the right place, more often than not the decisions which we will take together will always be for the best interest of the team, and I think we will have more good decisions than bad decisions," he added.
Rohit Sharma Was A Great Human Being - Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir said that Rohit Sharma has got a lot of respect in that dressing room not just due to his cricketing skills but also because of his character. Gambhir added that a good human becomes a good leader, which benefits both the team and the support staff.
The Team India head coach also said that he had a fabulous relationship with Rohit when we were playing together. Gambhir expressed a commitment to focusing on the broader goal of benefiting Indian cricket and bringing a smile to the faces of every Indian.
"And Rohit we all know the kind of leader he is, the kind of person he is, and I have always believed that a good human becomes a good leader. He is a great guy, and I think he has got a lot of respect in that dressing room, and that is the first and foremost quality of a leader. When you earn that respect not only by the action on the cricket field but also because of the kind of person you are, it helps the team and the support staff in a much bigger way.
"My relationship with him when we were playing together was fabulous, even then he was a great human being and I hope it continues that way. For me it's not about me, it's not about him, it's about Indian cricket. It's our responsibility to bring the smile on the faces of every Indian that follows the game," Gambhir concluded.
